SOAPMAKING SUPPLIES - ESSENTIAL OIL - FRAGRANCE OIL - SKIN CARE - MASSAGE & SPA SUPPLY - RECIPES - SOAP MAKING & LOTION KITS
Serving Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama, Missouri, Mississippi, Iowa, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, Tennessee, Virginia, Maryland, District of Columbia, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and territories
|
|
|
FAQ
(Frequently Asked Questions)
| Q: How much (soap/oil/fragrance/colorant/etc) do I need/use? |
A: There are no strict rules or absolutes regarding the quantities of ingredients that go into your soaps and lotions, and that's where the fun comes in: Experimentation and personal preference will help you decide. But here are some common guidelines:
Soap -- To determine how much soap you need, add up the capacities [in ounces] of the soap molds you want to fill. Divide the result by 16, and that's how many pounds of melt-and-pour soap you'll need -- assuming you cover your soap during the melting process to limit loss through evaporation.
Fragrances -- Strength of scent varies widely from one fragrance product to another, so the amount used will depend on both the fragrance itself and the intensity you want to achieve in your final product. The industry suggests a range of one-half to one ounce of fragrance per pound of melt-and-pour soap. That's a wide range. Our advice: 1. Start slow. 2. Use your nose.
Oils/Butters -- As a rule of thumb, add no more than one ounce total of oils and/or butters -- such as shea, coconut, almond and avocado -- per pound of melt-and-pour soap.
Liquid -- The combined volume of liquids other than oils [water, aloe vera juice, tea infusions, etc.] added to a glycerin soap recipe shouldn't exceed about one-quarter cup [two fluid ounces] per pound of soap base.
|
Top
| Q: What's the difference between soap dye and soap pigment? |
| A: A dye dissolves and becomes inseparable from whatever it is added to -- water, alcohol, glycerine. Dye colors are generally brighter than pigments and can change in response to extremes of temperature or pH. They are prone to 'bleeding', so they are better suited to single-color pours rather than embedded objects or multi-colored soaps.
A pigment does not dissolve, but rather consists of tiny particles which remain suspended in the finished product. Depending on their physical properties, these particles may block light, making clear soaps less transparent--even opaque [white glycerine soap base is pigmented], or they may reflect light, giving soap a spectral or opalescent appearance. Pigments will not bleed into surrounding areas, so they are ideal for embedded objects and layering.
|
Top
| Q: Are TherapyGarden.com products safe to eat/drink? |
| A: All of our products are sold for external use only in the form of soaps, lotions, creams and balms. We evaluate them exclusively for that purpose, never as food. We do not intend, nor can we recommend, that they be taken internally. |
Top
| Q: Is it okay to freeze soap molds? |
| A: Except for high-end silicone molds, freezing will shorten the life of your soap making molds somewhat, as they may become brittle over time. |
Top
| Q: Is your melt-and-pour soap base hypo-allergenic? |
A: The US Food and Drug Administration defines hypoallergenic cosmetics as products that manufacturers claim produce fewer allergic reactions than other cosmetic products. Here is what the FDA says:
"There are no Federal standards or definitions that govern the use of the term 'hypoallergenic'. The term means whatever a particular company wants it to mean. Manufacturers of cosmetics labeled as hypoallergenic are not required to submit substantiation of their hypoallergenicity claims to FDA."
Given the absence of any standard definition, TherapyGarden.com makes no claim regarding its products' 'hypoallergenicity'.
|
Top
| Q: Should I embed bracelet charms in my soap? |
| A: We don't recommend it. Soap melts away over time and, eventually, small objects embedded in it will emerge and become hazardous to children and other living things who like to taste everything. One of the safest things you can embed in soap is more soap -- melt and pour your own 'charms'! |
Top
| Q: I read somewhere that tap water is fine for soap and lotion recipes. Should I use it? |
| A: For predictable results, use only distilled water. |
Top
| Q: I want to add an herbal tea infusion to my glycerin soap recipe. How much liquid should I add? |
| A: It's a good idea to limit the total amount of liquid in a glycerin soap recipe to about 1/4 cup (2 fluid ounces) per pound of melt-and-pour soap base. |
Top
| Q: What is a carrier oil? |
| A: Carrier oils are skin-safe, moisturizing vegetable or nut oils -- such as jojoba, sweet almond, apricot kernel and evening primrose oils -- with little or no concentrated fragrance of their own. They are used in massage oils, creams, lotions, soaps, perfumed body and bath oils to dilute essential oils and carry them onto the skin. |
Top
| Q: Do you offer samples of your fragrance oils? |
| A: Yes, we do offer fragrance samples. In order to keep our costs and your prices low, we do not currently offer free samples. However, we do offer an extensive line of fragrance oils in a generous and reasonably priced, half-ounce sample size. |
Top
| Q: What are the ingredients in (product)? |
| A: The ingredients for some of our most popular products are listed here. |
Top
| Q: Does TherapyGarden™ soap contain lye? |
| A: The finished product does not contain lye, but lye is used in the soap making process. All 'true' soaps are made with lye. Lye is necessary in order for the ingredient mixture to saponify and form soap. Our melt-and-pour glycerin soap base appeals to soapcrafters who prefer not to work directly with lye because the lye step has already been done for them. |
Top
| Q: Are your products certified organic? |
| A: We are not certified by the FDA to make representations about whether a product is organic. However, we are always happy to answer specific questions about how a particular product is produced. Contact us |
Top
| Q: What's the difference between essential oils and fragrance oils? |
| A: Essential oils are the aromatic oils of botanicals. These oils are usually captured by distilling--that is, heating plant material (leaves, seeds, flowers, fruit, roots, bark, etc) in water to produce steam, then collecting and cooling the steam until it condenses back to a liquid. In another method, used commonly for citrus plants, the oils are extracted by cold-pressing the fruit rinds. Essential oils are almost always more expensive to produce than fragrance oils.
Fragrance oils are aroma compounds, synthetically produced and blended to impart a particular fragrance. Some fragrance oils may also contain essential oils. Because they can be blended in many different combinations and concentrations, the number of fragrance oils possible is virtually unlimited.
|
Top
| Q: Why does my choice of shipping methods change sometimes while I'm shopping? |
| A: Some products are federally regulated and may only be shipped via ground transportation. But which ones? Fortunately, as you shop, our cart keeps track of all that so you don't have to.
If your order contains regulated items, your shipping options are automatically adjusted accordingly. As a result, you may see a different selection of shipping methods at checkout.
|
Top
|
SITE INDEX
3D Molds
Additives
Allspice Oil
Almond Oil
Aloe Butter
Aloe Vera Gel
Aloe Vera Juice
Apricot Kernel Meal
Apricot Kernel Oil
Arrowroot Powder
Avocado Oil
Balm Jars
Bases
Bath Bomb Molds
Bath Poufs
Bath Salts
Bath Salt Tubes
Beauty Bath Kits
Beeswax
Bentonite
Body Butter
Body Scrubs
Body Spray Base
Body Spray Kits
Body Wash Base
Botanical Extracts
Bottles
Bubble Bath Base
Bubble Booster
Buttermilk Powder
Butters
Calendula:Dried
Calendula:Extract
Candy Thermometers
Cajeput Oil
Cedar Oil
Chamomile:Dried
Chamomile:Extract
Citric Acid
Citronella Oil
Clay
Clay Mask Kits
Cocoa Butter
Coconut Milk Powder
Coconut Oil
Color Stabilizer
Colorants
Conditioner Concentrate
Containers
Cornstarch
Cranberry Seeds
Cream Jars
Creams
Cyclomethicone
Cypress Oil
Day Spa Kits
Dead Sea Salt
Dipropylene Glycol
Disposable Pipettes
DPG
Dried Botanicals
Dyes:Soap
Essential Oil
Eucalyptus Oil
European Spa Salt
E-Wax
Exfoliants
Facial Mask Kits
Facial Scrubs
Fir Needle Oil
Flavor Oils
Foaming Bath Butter
Fragrance Oils
Flexible Molds
Flexus Molds
Foam Booster
Fragrance Samples
Fundraising Kits
Garage Sale
Gift Basket Items
Gift Certificates
Ginger Oil
Ginseng Extract
Glycerin
Glycerin Soap Base
Goat's Milk Powder
Grapeseed Oil
Ground Apricot Meal
Hair Conditioner Base
Hair Shampoo Base
Honey Powder
Jars
Incense Bags
Incense Cones
Incense Sticks
Incense-Making Base
Jojoba Oil
Kaolin Clay
Kelp Powder
Kits
Lavender:Dried
Lavender Oil
Lemongrass Oil
Linen Spray Base
Linen Spray Kits
Lip Balm Base
Lip Balm Containers
Lip Balm Flavors
Lip Balm Kits
Lip Balm Tubes
LiquaPar Optima
Liquid Soap Colorant
Loofah
Loofah:Discs
Loofah:Pads
Loofah:Slippers
Lotion Base
Lotion Bottles
Lotionmaking Kits
Mango Butter
Martin Molds
Massage Cream
Massage Oil Kits
May Chang Oil
Meadowfoam Oil
Medicine Droppers
Melt & Pour Soap
Mica
Milk Baths
Milky Way Molds
Molds:Soap
Multibase EL1
Myrrh Oil
Niaouli Oil
Neon Colors
No Bleed Colors
Non Bleeding Colorants
Oils
Oil-Based Colors
Orange Oil
Organza Bags
Oxides
Packaging
Palm Kernel Flakes
Palmarosa Oil
Patchouli Oil
Pearlizing Agent
Peppermint Oil
Pine Needle Oil
Pipettes
Polawax
Powdered Goat's Milk
Preservative
Raspberry Seeds
Recipes
Room Spray Base
Room Spray Kits
Rosehips
Rosemary:Dried
Rosemary Oil
Rub-On Soap Colors
Safflower Oil
Salt
Salt Scoops
Salt Scrub Kits
Sample Jars
Samples
Scrubs
Scrub Kits
Scrubbies
Sea Sponges
Shampoo Bottles
Shampoo Concentrate
Shaving Brushes
Shea Butter
Shower Gel
Shrink Wrap
SLSA
Smell-Through Shrink Wrap
Soap Colorants
Soap Molds
Soap:Glycerin
Soap:Melt and Pour
Soap Making Kits
Spa Kits
Spa Salts
Spa Supplies
Spearmint Oil
Stearic Acid
Sweet Almond Oil
Sweet Orange Oil
Tea Tree Oil
Thera-Glide(tm)
Thermometers
Thyme Oil
Tools
Vanilla Powder
Vanilla Tamer(tm)
Vials
Waxes
Wooden Scoops
Ylang Ylang Oil
|
